


I With the Morning's Love Have oft Made Sport

by XiroPaine



Category: BanG Dream! (Anime), BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Look this was supposed to be about kaoru but then tomohima happened, kaoru is not completely stupid change my mind, mentions Misaki and Kanon but they're not actually in it per say, my attempt at character analysis?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2019-01-28
Packaged: 2019-09-15 00:51:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16923495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XiroPaine/pseuds/XiroPaine
Summary: Two times Kaoru helped her kittens find love, and one time she found a love of her own.I. MisaKanonII. TomoHimaIII. Kao????





	1. MisaKano

**Author's Note:**

> So, more Kaoru centric stuff. It's basically Kaoru being the MVP as an A+ wingwoman. This one roughly follows canonverse, at least for the first two chapters. I wrote this months ago when the phantom thief event had just come out on EN, but wasn't sure if I wanted to post it. I decided to try and revisit it since I love writing stuff for Kaoru now. How ironically fleeting.
> 
> TBH I thought Kaoru was pretty overrated as a character, but was pleasantly surprised at her possible character depth. My personal HC is that Kaoru is a more perceptive than she seems, but she still does some dumb stuff sometimes since she doesn't quite think things all the way through.
> 
> I always forget to do this, but shoutout to TheGreatZura for the beta. I know my writing can get crazy sometimes, so thanks for putting up with that.

Kaoru was many things: lavish, majestic, exuberant, awe-inspiring-- qualities fit for a prince. But she wasn't stupid. Her fame brought around many girls, faltering under her princely gaze. She was used to seeing the nervousness that came with it; the blushing, the stolen glances, the stammering, the hopeful swooning. So it was no surprise that she could sense the seeds of attraction almost as soon as they were planted. It would be difficult to see to the naked eye, but Kaoru knew her bandmates well.

Kanon was a timid girl. She was easily overwhelmed and quick to bring to tears, but Kaoru saw the difference in her blush whenever she had her gaze cast upon Misaki. It would appear any time she would nervously ask Misaki if she needed help, an act of courage that she would otherwise need a push to follow through with. Perhaps the time she had spent performing live with the band helped boost her own confidence. That was certainly the case with Kaoru when she embraced the art of theatre years ago.

And Misaki. Kaoru could also sense that she too put up a facade, but unlike Kaoru's flamboyant act, Misaki's made her present as cold and uninterested. It was obvious that it wasn't such the case. She may not have shared the stage in performance with the rest of Hello Happy World, but her dedicated work behind the scenes as their manager and composer, even in Michelle's absence, showed that she cared more for the band than she let on. But there were cracks in that guise, fleeting moments of genuine care and enjoyment whenever Kanon encouraged her to partake in band activities.

They were awkward, yes, and yet fit for each other. Much like the calm eye in the center of a chaotic storm that was Hello, Happy World! The seeds were planted. Kaoru took it upon herself to cultivate those seeds until they bloomed into something more beautiful, but she also could not break her own guise. So she challenged Fate, hoping that her plan and princely persona would not backfire on her.

In hindsight, she could have approached the situation a little differently, but Kaoru could not help but give girls attention through the only way she knew how. She flourished in their happiness and simply wanted to—as Kokoro always put it—make the world smile. Unfortunately, her plan involved making Misaki jealous enough to speak up about her feelings. So Kaoru attempted to flirt with Kanon. Sometimes Kanon blushed and turned away in a nervous smile, but others resulted Kaoru’s compliments would only go over her head. Kaoru knew how the blushes of physical admiration were different to those that stemmed from emotional attraction, but Misaki did not. Kaoru saw the internal battle that shone in Misaki's eyes as she looked their way, let out a grunt, and turned away in what looked like disinterest. While it was an all act for Kaoru, both she and Misaki knew that, there was still a tint of guilt deep inside Kaoru that she would never allow pass through her mask. Dealing with matters of the heart were always complicated, and Kaoru would be willing to take the blame if things went sour.

When fueling jealousy alone was not enough, Kaoru was hesitant to attempt anything more drastic, however it seems that the stars had aligned to lend her a helping hand. Kokoro had brought the band onto a cruise ship on an impromptu adventure, and the Suits presented an idea that could make the night more enjoyable. Kaoru was more than happy to accept the role, but with it came with more than just the reward of fun. It was her to suggest to the Suits that Kanon should be the one chosen to play the captive princess, and it was also under her suggestion to not reveal to the drummer the true nature of that night's event. She played it off as if it would bring out a more genuine response out of Kanon, which she did not entirely lie about, but Kaoru was smart enough to know that the dramatic irony would be ruined if the chosen princess knew too much.

Luckily, Kaoru was free to choose which games they would play that night. The first two were fairly straightforward, but it also gave Kaoru enough time to stall and finalize her plan. She was already betting so much on this game of love she made herself play that she wanted to minimize the chances of failure. Eventually, she would have to play her hand and hope that her poker face was good enough to pull the response out of the two lovebirds that she was hoping for.

After the act of confession, Kaoru was not entirely sure if her plan had been successful. Misaki’s acting was indeed pretty bad, but not in the case of acting out a good confession, but rather hiding the awkwardness of how actual confessions usually went. It was plain to see that Misaki had given a genuine confession despite it all being under the guise of being one of the Phantom thief’s games. Kanon also seemed to be touched by the act, as she was quick counter the opinions of their audience in an attempt to comfort Misaki about her performance. Perhaps she had gone too far with flaunting yet another theatrical confession of love, but she couldn’t help it. Kaoru had done all that she can to nurture the seeds of attraction. The only thing she could do now was wait if those seeds would ever bud.

Nothing happened for a while following the night of the cruise. The majority of the band continued to reminiscence about the enjoyment they had chasing the Phantom Thief, but Misaki seemed to swallow those memories deep into herself. Even in a later attempt in offering acting lessons, it was hard to tell if the spotlight had helped Misaki open up or if the embarrassment made her close up entirely. As time passed, Kaoru feared that her intervention only proved to worsen the situation.

The game seemed all but lost, however Kaoru saw a ray of light pass through the storm clouds. It was during a night after one of Hello Happy World's live shows as they were preparing to leave the venue. The Suits were packing up the equipment up onto the tour bus—Kokoro made a point that they should all ride in a tour bus together to have the full touring band experience, since their show was in the next town over. The band minus Michelle, who Misaki said she would travel separately since she would get motion sickness if she went on the bus, was inside waiting for their departure. Kaoru was celebrating with Kokoro and Hagumi for another successful performance and was about to call over Kanon and Misaki to join them. It was then that she caught glimpse of their own celebration. Both were drained from the show and leaning on each other for support. Kaoru knew that drumming was a physically demanding activity, and she could only guess that Misaki's mental stress over making sure the show was successful from behind the scenes had caught up with her body. She was already content with the scene before her, yet Kaoru hadn't expected what had happened next.

Kaoru saw Kanon's lips moving as if she were saying something, but Kaoru couldn't make it out since Kokoro and Hagumi were still excitingly recounting tonight's events next to her. Misaki gave a tired chuckle and a slight smile in response, one so genuinely content that Kaoru almost missed their hands interlocking between them, as if it were a sacred exchange between them. It was then that she decided wasn't her place to intrude any further in their affairs, and so with a satisfied smile of her own, allowed the seeds to sprout on their own.


	2. TomoHima

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This had been on my mind for so fricken long and I finally just bit the bullet and wrote it. I’ve been coming up with and writing too much angst; I just wanted be self-indulgent with my TomoHima fluff to balance that out. They’re so soft; I stan. Kaoru cares so much for her friends too (the HaroHapi sleepover event is wholesome content).

White Day was meant to be the day Kaoru gave back to all her kittens, That’s why she planned to put on the musical, hoping to fit a little bit of what each girl wanted. She was meticulous, not wanting to leave any girl out. That is, each and every girl other than Himari. She had been the spark of inspiration Kaoru needed to come up with the idea off a musical, and she even insisted in helping out with the musical when Hagumi got injured. If anything, Kaoru wanted to give something extra special back to the bassist. But she was also the most difficult to find the perfect way for Kaoru to express her gratitude.

Kaoru loved playing with Hello, Happy World!, but playing together with Tomoe and Himari as the rhythm section was somewhat of a surreal experience. The two were always in sync and played off each other so easily. It was no doubt that the drummer and bassist had to stay together to keep a strong foundation for the song, but this was a natural chemistry between the two that went beyond their shared musicality. As the duo left rehearsal one day, lightly bantering with each other between laughs whilst making their way home, Kaoru couldn’t hide the knowing smile as she figured out a White Day gift that could be much more memorable than any performance she could put on the theater stage. This was the stage of love, and Kaoru would play the director for this revue of devotion.

A play could not be performed without the help of a stage crew. Kaoru knew this endeavor could not be accomplished alone, especially since she was busy producing her own White Day musical. Tracking down the remaining members of Afterglow was more troublesome than difficult, but the trio quickly (and rather enthusiastically) agreed to be part of the plan. They were in attendance on the day of the performance, still wanting to be supportive of their bandmates, but stealthily made their escape part way through the second act to prepare for the main event.

Nevertheless, the musical was a roaring success. Kaoru was indeed proud in that fact, but her work was not done yet. She had one last White Day gift to give. With a quick text to Tsugumi to ensure that everything was ready, Kaoru set down the catalyst. She was already planning to give out personalized thank you cards for all her little kittens, and Tomoe’s and Himari’s were no different in that sense. However, Kaoru’s thanks did not end with honeyed words and fragrant roses, for their cards included an extra message.

“As thanks for helping me with the play, I took the liberty to arrange a celebration. Do not speak a word of this, but please be at the Hazawa Cafe at 9pm later tonight. Wear something nice.”

With careful eyes, Kaoru watched in amusement at their reactions. Tomoe’s eyes grew wide but was making her best effort not to have the shock etched on her face. She was more or less successful in avoiding causing a scene. Himari, on the other hand, simply squealed to herself, but such a response was normal for the bubbly bassist that nothing out of line could be deduced. She made her exit quickly in excitement, fumbling with partially phrased excuses, apologies, and goodbyes. The eccentric drummer was next to follow suit, slightly more composed, and Kaoru had half the mind to stop her to clue her in, but ultimately decided against it.

Tomoe and Himari ran into each other even before their arrival at the cafe. The initial shock made their interaction awkward, especially after discovering they both had the same invitation written on their respective cards. They fell into a slew of easily recognizable nervous ticks- Tomoe scratching her cheek or rubbing the back of her neck; Himari needing to busy her hands by grasping at the hem of her dress. Similar thoughts filled each girl’s mind as she took the chance to appreciate the other. It was no surprise that Himari would opt for a dress, accentuating her curves that Tomoe swore were perfect just the way they were despite Himari’s complaints. Tomoe, only slightly to Himari’s surprise, chose to wear a pair of tight-fitting slacks and long-sleeved blouse. Himari was always in awe of the fact that Tomoe could look so handsome without sacrificing an ounce of femininity. Exchanging pleasantries of each other's outfits helped to relieve the tension, but both couldn’t help but be anxious for what Kaoru prepared for them.

The absence of the usual brightness coming from the cafe’s windows did not go unnoticed by the duo. Nerves spiked as they neared the front door of the establishment. However, they did not get the chance to open the door as it was opened from the inside, Kaoru stepping over the threshold into the evening light. She had kept the suit she wore during the musical.

The only way to describe the candlelight dinner was romantic. Both Himari and Tomoe figured this out quickly as Kaoru escorted them to a single decorated table. At the center was a flower arrangement that had Ran Mitake written all over it. Tsugumi, of course, was their chef for the night. Even Moca was in on it, appearing seemingly out of thin air, holding a bottle of sparkling grape juice in her hand.

The rest of the night went smoothly, the atmosphere holding an intrinsically “Afterglowesque” quality to it, as Moca spontaneously coined the term. Kaoru couldn’t help but wonder how tonight’s experience would affect the duo’s relationship to each other, the lines between platonic and romantic so blurred that even Kaoru could not tell the difference. That is, until Moca finally blurted out from the kitchen window, “Jeez! Just kiss already!”

Aftergloweque indeed. But perhaps that was the way it was meant to be. As long as they enjoyed themselves, Kaoru was satisfied with her work.

 

Omake:

“Jeez! Just kiss already!” Moca called from the kitchen window. Ran smacked her over the head for the comment and Tsugumi half-attempted at glaring daggers at her, but all of them were silently hoping for it. Moca had just finally become so impatient from watching their friends blindly throwing heart-eyes at each other for years that she would just put it out in the open for them. Even Kaoru was trying to hold back a chuckle, amused at Afterglow’s antics. The reason they all were so gung ho about helping Kaoru was because they unanimously thought that they’d have to push them to actually start dating, lest both of them being too spineless to bring up the subject themselves.

“MOCA!” The pair exclaimed simultaneously. Himari’s came out more like an pleading whine as she immediately hid her quickly reddening face in her palms. Tomoe was on her feet and looked like she was two seconds away from launching Moca across the ocean, but her embarrassed blush dispersed any shred of intimidation she attempted to have. The rhythmic duo exchanged timid glances before looking back at their friends. Himari stood as well, rounding the table to pull Tomoe down to a height that she could whisper something into her ear. Tomoe responded with a firm nod and readdressed their friends.

“One condition. You all gotta turn around.”

Moca returned a challenging look but eventually submitted with a sigh. “Okay, fine.”

Urging the others to play along, they hid back under the kitchen window, but Moca wasn’t going to be beaten so easily.

“Moca, no cheating!” They heard Tomoe call out, knowing Moca would try something.

“She’s not!” Tsugumi confirmed, but silently notioned Moca to continue on with her scheme.

Opening the camera app, Moca carefully inched her phone up over the kitchen counter, barely peeking out just enough for the couple-to-be to glance over it. Tsugumi, Ran, and Kaoru were all huddled in as well, hoping to catch them, but the moment the phone managed to focus on where the dinner table was, they heard the bell of the front door chime. Himari was already halfway out the door, holding it open while Tomoe dashed through. As the stood back up, Himari stuck out her tongue at them before running off after Tomoe. Moca was ready to run out after them, but Kaoru used her body to block the kitchen doorway. “Leave them be. We have been duped. Let them enjoy this satisfaction.”

Tomoe and Himari managed to run all the way to the park they had met at as children, laughing all the way. They were more athletic than their other friends, so it was unlikely they would catch up with them soon. Though, they had a feeling Tsugumi would probably try to stop them from chasing after them in the first place.

They plopped down onto a nearby bench, catching their breath. With the adrenaline finally calming down, the looming unspoken tension became more apparent. Tomoe coughed loudly out of nervousness. Several nervous glances were exchanged, but they were both aware of the fact that they were sitting next to each other with virtually no space between them. Tomoe cleared her throat once more, unnerved by the silence between them. It caught Himari’s attention and their eyes locked. Himari spared a quick glance at Tomoe’s lips before looking back up, entranced by the stormy blue raging in Tomoe’s eyes. As Himari released a shaky breath, Tomoe swallowed nervously, and knew that the drummer had done the same. Their gazes held for a fraction of a second longer before Himari barely made out a whispery “screw it” escaping Tomoe’s lips. 

In a burst of courage, Tomoe opted to throw every concern out the window and just go for it. She came in a little too strongly, crashing their lip together so forcefully that Himari nearly fell back from the force of it. Somehow though, Tomoe managed to grab onto the back of the bench to keep herself from tumbling over while Himari stabilized herself by instinctively capturing either side of Tomoe’s head with her hands. They broke apart, foreheads still touching, and it only took a beat before Tomoe broke into a goofy smile, causing soft giggles to sing off of Himari’s lips.

“You’re ridiculous,” Himari teased, her arms finding their way around Tomoe’s neck.

“Shuddup, you love me,” Tomoe quipped back as she helped Himari into her lap, earning more sweet laughs in return.

“I do.”

“Good,” Tomoe said with a chuckle, “Love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I went a bit overboard with this… I just needed something to do in my really boring three hour night class. If only I could write my other ships as well as I write TomoHima. Welp. Soft butch Tomoe is an aesthetic unique to her as she’s obviously an expert in high fashion. I mean it’s even listed in her hobbies.  
> ALSO, does anyone know how to format that line divider for Ao3? Cause I sure don’t.


End file.
